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(No Model.) 5 SheetS-Sheet 1 M. N. FORNEY.

REVERSIBLE BACK FOR GAR OEOTEEE SEATS. No. 482447. Patented Sept. 13,1892.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets- Sheet 2.

M. N. FORNEY. I REVERSIBLE BACK EoR OAR OR OTHER SEATS. No. 482,447. Patented Sept. 13, 1892;.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 13.

M. N. PORNBY,

REVERSIBLE BACK EoE GAR 0E OTHER SEATS. No. 482,447. Patented Sept. 13, 1892;

ATTORNEY,

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. M. N. PORNEY.

v REVERSIBLE BACK FOR GAR OR OTHER SEATS. No. 482,447.

Patented Sept. 18, 1892.

WITNESSES:

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(No Model.) 5 Shets-Shet 5.

- M. N. FORNEY. REVERSIBLE BACK FOR GAR OR OTHER SEATS. I No. 482,447. Patented Sept. 13, 1892'.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAT'll-IIAS N. FORNEY, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

REVERSIBLE BACK FOR CAR OR OTHER SEATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,447, dated September 13, 1892.

Application filed April 4, 1892.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS N. FORNEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Reversible Backs for Car or other Seats, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to railroad-car seats of the class or type exemplified in Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 324,825 and 360,148, granted and issued to me under dates of August 25, 1885, and March 29, 1887, but is not in any wise limited thereto, being likewise applicable to seats and backs of constructions other than those of said Letters Patent.

The object of my present invention is to provide a reversible seat-back having the capability of being so changed in form or out line by the act of reversal that in either position after reversal it shall present a lower convex portion and an upper concave portion for the support of the lumbar region of the back and of the shoulder-blades, respectively, of the occupants of the seat.

To this end myinvention, generally stated, consists in the combination of a reversible seat-back, reversing-arms, and mechanism for changing the form of the back in and by the reversal thereof. The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In Patent No. 324,825, before referred to, it was pointed out that in order to provide an effective support for the lumbar region of the back of the occupant the lower part of the seat-back must project beyond the upper portion against which the shoulder-blades rest,

. and that the upper part of the seat-back should be concave to receive the shoulder-blades, and the lower part convex to conform to the shape of the lower part of the back of the occupant. If, however, the lower part of a seat-back is convex and its upper part concave, its out line will be in the form of a reversed curve, or what is known as an ogee. If such a back be reversed, the convex part will after reversal be where the concave part should be, and vice versa. Consequently while seats constructed with reversible backs, as set forth in the above patents, were found to be more comfortable than any others theretofore in use, the necessity for reversal compelled them Serial No. 427,695- (No model.)

to be constructed only approximately in the form which will give the greatest ease to their occupants.

My present invention is designed to overcome the objection above stated by changing the form of the back when its position is re versed from one side of the seat to the other, so that its lower portion will always be convex and will be changed to a concave form by the act of reversal, and consequent transposition to the top. In other words, the lower part of the back will always be convex in form and is altered to concave whenthe back is turned over and the positions of its upper and lower portions are reversed. Conversely the top is changed from a concave to a conveX form when the back is reversed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a car seat and back, illustrating an application of my invention with the back in one of the positions it occupies when the seat is in use, the arm-rest or seat end being omitted, as it is also in Figs. 3, 4., and 5, to show the construction more clearly; Fig. 2, a front view of part of the seat and the back, the covering of the portion of the back to the left of the figure and a part of the seat being omitted; Fig. 3, an end view of the seat and back with the latter turned half-way over; Fig. 4, a similar view with the back turned completely over to the right-hand side of the seat; Fig. 5, an end view of the seat, on an enlarged scale, with the back shown in section; Fig.6, a transverse section through a seat-back, illustrating a modification; Fig. 7, a front View of one end of the back shown in Fig. 6; and Figs. 8 to 1G, transverse sections through seat-backs, illustrating further modifications of the devices employed for extending and depressing the upholstery of the backs.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, my invention is exemplified as applied in connection with a seat-back A, which, as in the'patents before referred to, is coupled by reversing-arms D D to end supports, the seat B being con nected to and supported by the lower ends of the reversing-arms. The outline of the lower portion E and E, Figs. 1 and 4, of the back on the side next to the occupants of the seat is, it will be seen, of a convex form in both positions, and the upper portion F and F is concave,which form, as beforeindicated, is that which provides the most effective and easysupportforthebacksoftheoccupants. In order to preserve such form of the seat-back relatively to the occupants when the back is reversed or turned, which involves the relative transposition of its convex and concave portions, I provide mechanism for extending and depressing, respectively, different portions of the back, one form of which will now be described.

The seat-back is upholstered with a series of spiral springs S S, Figs. 2 and 5, which are covered with a suitable textile and fibrous covering R. For convenience of explanation this part of the back, which is included within an outside frame, will be called its body. The springs bear against and are attached to boards or slats H H, G,and I I, which for the same reason will be called backing. The construction of the upholstery is similar to that ordinarily employed in cushions for chairs and seats.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the back consists of an external rigid frame a b c d e f, which is made, preferably, of metal. What has been called the backing of the seatback and which supports the upholstery consists of three sections H H, G, and I I, flexibly connected together. G, Figs. 2 and 5, which is about one-third the width of the back, consists of a board or framework of slats or other similar structure, which is attached to the external frame by pivots g 9, about which it can turn or vibrate. Each of the upper and lower portions H H and I I of the backing consists of a similar framework of slats or boards. In this instance the central section G is represented as a single board, whereas the upper and lower sections H H and I I each consist of a frame composed of two slats. The upper and lower sections are connected to the external frame a b c d e f by hinges h h, about which the sections can turn, and the upper edge of the lower section and the lower edge of the upper section are connected to the central section of the backing by hinges 2' and '6, Figs. 2 and 5. These latter hinges have double joints, because the arcs in which the edges of the central section and those of the upper and lower sections move are not coincident, and the movement of the middle members of the double-jointed hinges allows a certain amount of divergence in the paths of the edges of the sections, which are connected together by these hinges. Two pins or projections j kj k are attached to each end of the middle section G and extend beyond the frame a b c d e f, so that when the back is turned one of the arms D or D will engage with one of the two pins at each end of the back and will turn the middle section G about its pivots g g. As the middle section G is connected to the upper and lower sections H H and I I by the double-jointed hinges, the movement of the section G is im- The middle portion parted to the upper and lower sectionsand produces a corresponding movement of said sections about their hinges h h. This operation will be understood by following the successive positions of the back represented in Figs. 1 to 40f the drawings, it being first understood that the dottedlines P p and P p represent the paths which the centers of the pivots P P describe in the reversal of theback. In Fig. 1 the back is represented on the left side of the seat. The reversing-arm D is then in contact with the pin j, and, as shown in Fig. 5, the upper edge of the section G has been pushed backward by the arm D coming in contact with the pin j, and as the section G is connected to the upper section H H by double-jointed hingest' the lower edge of the section H H has also been carried backward by the movement of the section G. As said section turns on the pivots g g its lower edge moves forward when the upper part moves backward, and being connected to the lower section I I the upper edge of I I is also moved forward. As the springs and stuffing of the back are attached and rest on the three sections H H, G, and I I, the effect of the movement described is to draw the upholstery backward and make its form concave at F and push it forward and make it convex at E. When the back is turned over from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3, it will be seen that the arm D has moved away from the pinj and the arm D has moved nearer to the pin is. Before the backis turned completely over the arm D comes in contact with the pin k, and when the reversal is completed and the back is in the position shown by Fig. 4 the arm D has pushed the pin it back and moved the sections G, I I, and H H with it, and has thus changed the shape of the back and made it concave at F and convex at E. In other words, the lower part, at E and E, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 4, is convex at both positions, and the upper part, at F and F, respectively, in said figures, is concave, the seat-back thus affording the sup port for the shoulder-blades and the lumbar regions of the back of the occupant which is required for comfort. Besides this advantage, the fact that the lower section I I, Fig. 1, is pushed forward gives more room at 00 for the knees of the person who occupies the seat behind the one shown in the drawings. The same advantage results when the back is reversed into the position shown in Fig. 4.

The essential and characteristic feature of my invention may be briefly defined as the transformation of the surface of the seatback in and by its reversal and in the construction above described. Such transforn1ation is effected through the rotary actionof the reversing-arms D and D in relation to the seat-back. A similar change of form by analogous mechanical means may be eifected in other seat-backs which in being reversed have a revolutionary motion, and I do not therefore desire to limit my invention to the IIO specific construction of seats selected for illustration.

The rotary action of the seat-back may be exerted to contract and extend the upholstery, as required, by modifications of the mechanical devices before described, examples of which are shown in Figs. 6 to 16, inclusive, which, with the exception of Fig; 7, are transverse sections through seat-backs with all details of the upholstery omitted, Fig. 7 being a front view of one end of the back shown by Fig. 6. In this modification. projections or flanges z" t", whose operations are similar to that of the teeth of gear-wheels, are employed instead of double-jointed hinges for transmitting the movement of the central section G to the upper and lower sections H and I. The sections might also be connected together by some flexible material, such as webbing, canvas, or leather. I

Fig. 8 represents a modification in which elastic springs s s are fastened to a central movable section G, which is pivoted at g, and is operated by means similar to those represented in Figs. 1 to 5. Thesprings s are fastened to the section or slat Gand bear against stops at l and Z. The turning movement of G in one direction bends the upper ends of the springs into the form represented and the lower end the reverse way. When the back is reversed, the section G is turned in the reverse direction, thereby bending the upper and lower ends of the springs in opposite ways.

Slats y y are attached to the springs s, and

the upholstery is fastened to theslats, or such: a back may, if desired, be used without uptral vibrating section G, which turns on pivots g; but instead of employing upper and lower sections, such as are shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the central section G in Fig. 9 is connected to upper and lower slats y y, which are fixed in relation to the frame oft-he back by webbing w w or other fibrous or flexible material. The upholstery rests on the slats 3/ g on the webbing and on the central section G, the movement of which changes the form of the upholstery, as will be readily understood from the drawings.

Fig. 10 shows a modification in which the change of form of the back is effected by means of two rollers J and K, which are preferably semicylindrical, and are placed inside of the covering of the seatbaek A and extend entirely through same, their ends being provided with journals m and n, which are made to turn in bearings in the outside frame of the seat-back. The upper end of each of the reversing-arms D D, Fig. 1, is connected rigidly to one of these journals, so that the movement of the arm about the axis of the journal will effect a coincident turning of the roller to which the journal is attached.

The seat-back is upholstered with a series of spiral springs covered with suitable textile and fibrous covering, the construction being similar to that ordinarily employed in cush and the distance from the said face to the flat 1 surface of the roller is-then greater than would l be the case if the roller were a complete cylin der. liable to feel the upper roller through the upholstery than he would be if it were com- 3 pletely cylindrical in form.

ions and seats and to that represented by Fig. 5, except that the textilematerial w w, with which the springs are covered, which is preferably that known as Webbing,'is fastened to the top of the seat-back frame at t, then carried over the tops of spiral springs located at S, and then wound partially around. the adjacent roller J and fastened thereto. The webbing is then carried back in the reverse direction around the roller J over the tops of springs located at A intermediate between the said roller and the other roller K and is then carried partly around this roller and attached to it, after which it is carried back again, passed over the tops of the remaining springs, which are located at S and is fastened to the lower side of the seat-back frame at Z The outside covering or facing L of textile and fibrous material, is sewed to the webbing or other material to w, which passes over the springs and is fastened to the seatframe and rollers, as above described.

The operation of this construction is as follows: In turning the seat-back A from the opposite position to the one in which it is shown by Fig. 10 to that represented in that figure the reversing-arms D D, Fig. 1, which are attached to the journals m and n of the rollers J and K, cause said rollers to turn a part of a revolution in the direction indicated by the arrows adjacent thereto. The webbing is thus wound on the roller J and unwound from K while the seat-back is moving from one position to the other. The webbing on the roller J, beingthus drawn inward, compresses the springs adjacent to it and depresses the back holstery. In Fig.9 there is also shown a cenat F. At the same time as the webbing on K is unwound and relaxed the springs adjacent to it press it and its covering outward at E into a convex form, as represented. WVhen the seat-back is turned over into the opposite position to that represented by Fig. 10, the reverse action of the rollers and webbing takes place and the part E of the back, which is then uppermost, is contracted and becomes concave, and the part F, which is below, be

comes extended and is thenconvex in form.

' As the rollers are turned less than half a eomplete revolution they may be made semicylindrical, asrepresented by the shaded sections at J and K. By doing so a cylindrical roller may be out into two parts longitudinally, and thus forms two rollers, and when either is uppermost its flat surface is turned toward what may be called the face F E of the seat-back The occupant of the seat is thus less In Fig. 11 the seat-back is provided with two inside frames I I, having transverse bars 2 which extend the entire length of the seatback inside the upholstered part and are coupled at their outer ends to the seat-back frame by hinges t the inner ends of the frames being adapted to move in arcs, as shown in dotted lines. The pivots a a by which the reversing-arms D D are connected to the back, have short cranks K K attached to their inner ends, said cranks being turned by the revolutionary movement of the arms. The pins K K of the cranks K K are fitted to work in longitudinal slots near the inner ends of the end members of the frames I I. In the reversal of the seat-back the revolution of the reversing-arms and the cranks K K causes the positions of the frames I I to be transposed, the frame I beingthen drawn in to the present position on the seat-back of the frame I, and the frame I being forced out to the present position on the seat-back of the frame I. The'transverse frame-bars are connected to the upholstery by twines or bands 2' so that when the frame I moves from the position shown to that corresponding with the position of the frame I it allows the springs to extend the upholstery so as to have the desired convex form. The reverse action-that is, a depression of the upholstery connected to the frames I'takes place when the seat-back is turned over.

In Fig. 12 the cranks K K at one end of the back are connected by long bars or rods K K, extending the whole length of the back, to similar cranks at the other end. These bars are connected to the upholstery by the twines or bands 4?. In the act of reversing the seat-back the revolution of the cranks draws the upholstery into the same positions as before described.

Fig. 13 shows a single rocking frame or rocker I, provided with transverse bars 71 i extending the entire length of the seat-back and journaled thereto by pivots or a rod 2'. The frame I is thus turned about the axis of its pivots by the cranks K K, the pins K K of which bear against opposite ends of the rocking frame and change its position when the back is reversed. The frame is connected to and contracts and extends the upholstery by means of the twines or bands i In Fig. 14 a rocking frame I, similar to that of Fig. 13, is employed; but instead of being provided with double-crossed reversing-arms at each end the seat-back is in this instance reversed by a single arm at each end, (represented by a dotted center line A These arms have fixed pivots at their lower ends. When the arm A is turned from one side of the seat to the other, the back is turned a halfrevolution in the direction of the arrow at the top around the pivot a to which a short crank K is attached. In turning over the seat-back the pin of the crank K bears against the frame, rocking it upon its pivot and changing the form of the upholstery, as in the other instances shown and described.

Fig. 15 shows a seat-back having three sepa hinged to the main frame of the seat-back and are coupled by flexible connections one to another. Pins K K on cranks K K are fitted to work in slots in the ends of the frames L L and the cranks act to change the positions of the frames in the reversal of the seat-back similarly to those shown in Fig. 11.

The seat-back shown in Fig. 16 is, similarly to that of Fig. 14, reversed by a single arm A at each end, the reversing-arms being connected to a roller A, which extends the Whole length of the back. The roller is connected by twines or bands 2' i which are wound partlyaround it, to the webbing of the upholstery, and when the seat-baok is turned over in the direction of the arrow one of the bands is wound around the roller and the other unwound, thereby changing the form of the upholstery, as before.

It will be obvious that further modifications in the details of the mechanism whereby the revolutionary movement of the reversing-arms in relation to the seat-backs is utilized for effecting the desired change of form of the upholstery of the' backs may readily be made without departure from the governing structural and operative principles of my invention, and I do not therefore desire to limit it to the specific construction herein described and shown. I

In the several constructions before described the transformation of the surface of the seat-back in and by its reversal,which, as previously stated, is the essential feature of my invention, is effected through the rotary action of the seat-back in relation to the reversing-arms. This transformation may also be effected by the movement of the back in relation to other parts. Thus if a fixed stop were placed behind the back, as at 12 Figs. 8, 9, 13, and 14, and at the corresponding opposite position it is obvious that the flexible or movable parts of the lower portion of the back would be pushed forward when it was reversed and these parts come in contact with the stops. Other means could also be devised for actuating the parts, which are movable or flexible in relation to the back-frame, and I do not therefore desire to limit my invention to application in the specific construction of seats selected for illustration. The rotary action of the reversing-arms in relation to the seatback may be exerted to contract or extend or change the form of the surface of the back which comes in contact with the occupants of the seat, or the same end maybe attained by the movement of the back in relation to other parts or the movement of other parts in relation to that of the back.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a reversible seatback having a flexible or articulated body, reversing arms pivotally connected to said seat-back, and transmitting mechanism interposed between the reversing-arms and the flexible body, whereby the form of the surface of the body is changed in and by the peversal of the seat-back, substantially as set orth.

2. The combination of a reversible seatback, reversing-arms connected thereto, and rotary mechanism connected to the reversingarms and to the upholstery of the seat-back and acting to extend and depress different portions thereof in and by the reversal of the seat-back, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a reversible seatback having a flexible or articulated body, reversing-arms connected to said seatback, members connected to and deriving movements of rotation from the reversing-arms, and connection, interposed between said rotary members and the flexible or articulated body, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a reversible seatback, reversingarms connected thereto, a flexible covering adapted to be automatically changed in form in and by the reversal of the seat-back, and intermediate connections coup-= ling the reversing-arms and the flexible covering, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a reversible seatback, reversing-arms connected thereto with the capacity of relative revolutionary movement, a roller connected to the reversingarms, a flexible covering or upholsteringconnected at its ends to the seat-back, and a connection coupling the roller and the covering, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a reversible seatback provided with flexible or articulated backing and reversing mechanism adapted to effect a change of form of the seat-back in and by its movement during reversal, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a reversible seatback, flexible or articulated backing connected to the seat-back frame at its upper and lower edges and pivoted to it in the middle, and reversing mechanism adapted to effect a change of the form of the back in and by its reversal, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a reversible seatback, backing consisting of a central section and upper and lower sections flexibly connected to the central section and to the seatback frame, and reversing mechanism whereby the form of the back is changed in and by its reversal, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a reversible seatback provided with flexible or articulated backing or elastic upholstry, reversing-arms connected to the back, and stops which engage with it to change the form of its surface in and by its reversal, substantially as set forth.

MATTHIAS N. FORNEY. Witnesses:

FRANK J. FRENCH, LENA VANNER. 

